Child Obesity Rates to Soar Over Next 10 Years, Analysis Suggests

The majority of children in nine areas of England will be overweight or obese by 2035, according to "deeply concerning" projections showing child obesity rates are likely to worsen across 90% of the country.

- Andrew Gregory

More than a third of primary school children (36%) are already overweight or obese, figures from the government's national child measurement programme show.

New modelling by the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH), seen by the Guardian, predicts the proportion of year 6 pupils affected will increase to four in 10 (41%) by 2034-35.

In total, 136 of 151 local authority areas (90%) will see rates of overweight or obese children rise in the next decade, the analysis suggests.

For the first time since records began, nine council areas are projected to have rates of 50% or more, which means there will be more 10- and 11-year-olds in those areas who are overweight or obese than not.

The nine areas are Blackpool (54%), Knowsley (52%), Sandwell (52%), Barking and Dagenham (52%), Wolverhampton (51%), Walsall (51%), Newham (51%), Luton (50%) and Nottingham (50%).